The present invention relates to wheeled toys, such as toy cars, and more particularly to the low friction mounting of a chassis on a wheel assembly thereof.
Wheeled toys, such as toy automobiles, toy railroad cars, and the like, which are unpowered rely for speed and travel distance upon the momentum initially impart thereto by the user. The frictional forces operating within the car -- for example, the frictional forces between the wheels and the chassis with respect to which the wheels are rotating -- reduce the speed and/or the distance which the wheeled toy can travel, all other factors being equal. Since these wheeled toys are frequently entered into competition, either for speed or for distance (without regard to speed), critical factors in the design of the toy include low weight, low wind resistance, and low internal friction between moving components of the toy.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a wheeled toy wherein the friction between the wheel and the chassis is minimized.
Another object is to provide such a toy wherein a wheel assembly supports the chassis vertically by only a limited number of point contacts.
A further object is to provide such a toy wherein the wheel assembly supports the chassis vertically and limits relative lateral displacement thereof by point contacts.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide such a toy wherein in one embodiment the wheel assembly supports the chassis against relative vertical, lateral and longitudinal displacement exclusively by point contacts.